From the category archives:

Personal Budgeting

Vacation Deals – Finding the Value

June 2, 2010

Are you looking for the best vacation deals?  Sometimes, the best “deal” isn’t the cheapest. When looking to go on vacation, you have to look at the total package of the trip.  Some resort locations, such as The Whiteface Lodge and the Mountain View Grand (both which I’ve reviewed), offer complimentary activity amenities as part [...]

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Climate Control and Your Budget

May 28, 2010

Early June… It’s that time of year when you are faced with the daily decision – heat? A/C? Neither? Let’s think about this from a budget perspective. Late spring, just like late summer, is the time of year when your climates control bill should be the lowest. That makes it a great time to catch [...]

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Budget Buster: Do You Budget for Gifts?

May 25, 2010

When I work with families that are completing their budgets, one category that is frequently missed is gifts. From holiday gifts to family birthday gifts to presents for all of the parties your kids attend, a family’s gift budget can turn out to be quite large. The best way to put together a gift budget [...]

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Budget Busters: Convenience Foods

May 24, 2010

As you continue to monitor and analyze your personal family budget, you’ll probably find some budget busters – things that somehow manage to cause you to be over budget. I’ll be focusing on some specific areas in special posts. The first budget buster is convenience foods – foods that you purchase on the go because [...]

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Saving Money at the Doctor’s Office

May 4, 2010

Health care expenses are rising, and of course, it’s big news these days.  Even if you have insurance, it’s important to be aware of your policy, so you can save as much money as possible. 1 – Know which doctors are within your plan.  Some plans have preferred providers which will save you money. 2 [...]

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Shopping With Warehouse Clubs

May 3, 2010

Last month, I talked about how some warehouse clubs offer some great coupon discounts.  But, is it worth having a membership in a warehouse club? Typically, warehouse clubs charge a fee – and some companies offer memberships as a benefit.  Quite honestly, if you visit the warehouse club at least six times a year, you’ll [...]

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Charitable Giving

April 27, 2010

Do you have a charitable giving plan?  Although it seems to be something that only the extremely affluent need to do, you probably are approached by many different charities – from school fundraisers and friends running/walking/cycling for charity, to countless phone calls by the police and fire departments.  Having a plan makes it easier to [...]

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How Does Your Budget Compare?

April 26, 2010

Have you been keeping track of your budget?  If so, here’s a great resource to compare your results to the average US Household.  Compare, and then decide if you want to make changes to your budget. Questions?  Post them below – I’d love to help you!

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Going Green and Saving Money

April 23, 2010

Most people associate going green with spending more money, but there are lots of ways to go green AND save money. Check out the Eco Frugal Life Guide by CouponSherpa to learn more.  This free guide offers lots of tips to going green in a frugal manner.

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Saving Money on Healthy Groceries

April 22, 2010

There are loads of fabulous blogs and Web sites that teach you how to match coupons to sales and get groceries for almost free.  I’m always in awe of how much work goes into this, and the great deals that can be had. But… I tend to eat healthier, nonprocessed, organic foods that aren’t often [...]

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